I'm very nervous taking to a local tire shop because most of them are pretty trashy and the last time I was at a local one, I watched them ruin a set of rims of a Mercedes GL and they probably broke the rear diff by jacking up the car on it.

BMW dealer?

No

Quote:

Originally Posted by ductman

Also the tire place I went to allowed me to go over the alignment specs with the tech at the machine,
dealer service dept is shrouded in secrecy, no one past the secret door in the shop

Get past the optics... I have one local tire shop I've used for many years. I am one of their 1%, in that they treat me and my cars really well. OK prices, sometimes they match tirerack, sometimes not, sometimes I bring in my own tires and they mount.

But on the specifics of 'finding the store to use the first time', I'd just stop by a few and see what vibe you get. Talk to a MANAGER, tell them you want specific settings and would like to be able to watch- perhaps from the open garage door if 'insurance' is an issue. The key will be not sounding like a BMW-hole, but sounding like an enthusiast who is looking for a more careful alignment. (I am always in jeans, T shirt, etc... doing my best Zelig...) Then time the guy doing the alignment 10-20 if he is nice, get his name, and come back the next time.